Fire hydrant



Patented Nov. Z, 1926,

Anirren a*rares iearanni LEONIDAS P. STOREY, OF ST. YPAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF vONE--IH'L'IZ'F TO "wafrnnous rrnn anc-inn co., or sT.

MINNESOTA.

PAUL, Minnnsora, A conronafrron or FIERE HYDRANT.

Application led May 2,

This invention relates to improvements in iire hydrants particularly adapted for use in conducting the water from the usual city water mains to the street surface, and more particularly relates to improvements in the waste water valve mechanism ot such hydrants.

Theobject of this invention is to provide a tire hydrant having an improved waste water valve mechanism comprising a vertically mounted plunger which will be positiv-ely operated to. open or close the Waste water port commensurate with the movement of the hydrant valve. y

A furtherobject ot the invention is to provide a tire hydrant having means for vertically guiding the waste water plunger in its up and down movement.

A further object is to provide a fire hydrant having a waste water mechanism so constructed as to eliminate the possibility oi small stones lodging between the plunger and its seat and thus rendering the mechanism inoperable. f

A further object is to provide a fire hydrant having `means whereby any torsional strain which may be imparted to the main valve stem will not be reflected upon the plunger of the waste water mechanism.

A Afurther object is to provide a tire hydrant having a waste water mechanism of very simple and inexpensive construction all parts of which arereadily interchangeable, thereby greatly reducing them'anutacturing cost and also considerably reducing the maintenance cost ot such a hydrant.

@ther objects ofthe invention will# more tally appear 'from the following description and the accompanying` drawings and will be pointed out in the anneried claims. n

in the drawings, there is illustrated a structure designed to carry out the objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope ot the claims which Vtollow.

ln the drawings:

Figure tis vertical. sectional. view the) tuating the waste water plunger; and

f Figure a is a detail sectionalview of the kvalve seat ring, showing same removed from the hydrant and also showing the means provided thereon for vertically guiding the plun ger.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown orpurposes oi'. disclosure, there is illustrated the lower portionor base 5 ot a fire hydrant having the usual side inlet opening 6 to which the water main is connected. rlhe upper portion ot the vbase 5 is provided with the usual opening 7 to which the stock or body 8 of the hydrant is secured.

As shown in Figures l and 2, an inwardly ydirected annular flange 9 is provided at the bottonl ofthe opening 7 adapted to form a seat ifor the packing ll and avalve seat ring l2. The ring l2 is preferably provided with screw threads 13 and the opening 7 is correspondingly threaded, by means ot which the ring` may be securely clamped against the packing Vll ,re-sting upon the seat 9, thereby providing a rwatertight joint between the ring and the seat. The `flange 9 is suitably bored to receive the lower reduced portion 14 of' the seat ring. An annular valve seat l5 of ordinary construction, is provided at the lowerl terminal `end of the reduced portion ld ot the ring l2. This valve seat is adapted to cooperate withl a suitable valve 1G, preferably ot leather, whicl is rigidly and securely retained upon the valvey stein orl spindle i7 kbetween washers 18 and 19 and the nuts 2l and 22, received in threaded engagement thereon, as clearly shown in Figure l. f

The important feature et" this invention resides in the novel provided ter re leasing the waste water from the stock 8 of the hydrant after the valve 16 has been closed, as shown in Figure 1.

An inwardly projecting integral lug 23 is preferably provided upon the innerI surface of the wall of the seat ring 12, having its upper face substantially flush with the upper edge of the ring. This lug is suitably bored to receive therein a cylindrical plunger 24. preferably of any suitable non-corrosive material, such as bronze` and operable Vby means of a horizontal transverse guide rod 25 secured to the valve stem 17, 1t will be notedq by referring to Figures 1 and 2, that the upper end of the plunger 24 is apertured to looselyy receive one end of the rod 25 therein. An aperture 26 is provided in the wall of the seat ring 12 in radial alinement with the plunger 2-1- and directly heneath the lug 23. This aperture communicates with an annular groove 2.7 provided in the wall of the opening 7, which has an outlet port 28 leading 1rom the groove through the wall to the exterior of the hy-. drant. Thus, when the valve 16 is closed and the plunger 24 is in its raised open position, as shown in Figure 1, the waste water contained within the stock 8 of the hydrant will flow through the aperture 26 to the groove 27 and thence through the outlet port 2il to the exterior of the hydrant, thereby draining the water from the hydrant. lVhen the valve 16 is opened, as shown in Figure 2, Ythe plunger 24 will be moved Vdownwardly to closing position by means of the rod 25. thereby closing the aperture 26 and preventing any water from escaping when the hydrant is in use. The resultant pressure of the water against the inner side of the plunger will tend to force the adjacent contacting surfaces around the aperture 26 in closer relation, and thereby positively prevent leakage of water therethrough when the hydrant is functioning.

Means are preferably provided, by the use of whiclr any torsional strain which may be imparted to the valve stem 17 in opening and closingV the valve 16, will not be reflected upon the plunger 24. Such means consist in providing opposed integral lugs 29 upon the upper edge of the seat ring 12. As is shown in Figure 4, these lugs project upwardly therefrom and are provided upon their inner surfaces with suitable guidewavs 81, which are adapted to receive therein the terminal ends of thil guide rod 25v Referring particularly to Figure l. it will be noted that the ends of the rod 25 are in close contact with the sides or" the vertical guideways 31, thereby positively preventing such ends from relative horizontal movement. although allowing` the rod freedom of movement vertically when the valve stem 17 is actuated to open or close the valve 16. rlherefore. by the kemployment of the novel mechanism above described, for vertically guiding and actuatingthe plunger 24 in conjunction with the valve stem 17, and also as a result of the loose connection provided between the plunger and the end of the rod 25, the plunger will at all times be free to move verticly in its bearing in the lug 23 without a tendency to bind, and also any torsional strain `which vmight be imparted to the valve stem 17 will not be transmitted to the plunger 2l.

To operate the novel hydrant valve mechanism here shown, the valve stem 17 is forced downwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2 by means of the usual operatingmechanism provided at the top of the hydrant and whichI have thought unnecessary to show in the drawings, as it formsno part of the present invention. When the valve 16 is thus opened the plunger 24 will be moved frein opening to closing position, as shown, thereby preventing any water from going to waste through the aperture 26 while the hydrant is open to permit the flow of water from the mains to flow upwardly through the stock 8 of the hydrantto the usual discharge opening provided at the top` of the hydrant, (not here shown) from whence it may be conducted to the desired place by the usual hose connection. Conversely, when the valve 16 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Figure 2` to the closing position shown in Figure 1, the plunger 2e' will simultaneously ,be moved from closing to opening position, thereby permitting the water contained within the stock of the hydrant to flow to waste through the aperture 26, groove 27 and the outlet port 28.

From the foregoing therefore, it is apparent that the mechanism is automatic and positive in action, and permits the escapement of water entrapped in the hydrant only at such time as necessary to prevent the entrapped water from freezing therein, which might cause serious damage to the hydrant. The non-corrosive plunger titting a similar bearing surface in the valve vring` lug provides a very durable construction under all conditions of service.

rl`his novel valve mecianism is also very simple and inexpens.. construction, comprising but few parts, and all such parts being so designed and constructed as to be readily and quickly removed from the stoel: of the hydrant for replacement, should any of the parts be found defective or become damaged or worn from long use. Bv thus simplifying the construction of a. hydrant the manufaeturing` cost and also the maintenance cost of such a hydrant will be great ly reduced.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a fire hydrant having a shoe, and stock thereon and a communicating passage between them, a valve seat ring fitting within said passage and having a vertical bore therein and a radially extending waste water port and a valve seat below said port, a valve fitting said seat and a stem for said valve having a cross member adjacent said valve, a cut-olf mounted to move vertically in said bore with said stem and valve and loosely supported at its upper end by said cross member to allow it to seat itself against the walls of said bore, the vertical movement of said cut-off across the entrance to said port alternately opening and closing it.

2. A fire hydrant comprising a shoe and a stock thereon having a communicating passage between them, a valve seat ring fitting within said passage and having a waste water port extending therethrough and lugs projecting upwardly from said ring, a valve fitting said seat ring below said port anda Y stem for said valve, a cross rod mounted in said stem and having its ends fitting vertical guides in said lugs, a plunger mounted on said rod and slidable in an orifice in said seat ring and bearing on said ring above and below said port and bridging said port to close the passage therethrough when said valve is opened.

3. In a fire hydrant, a shoe and stock thereon having a communicating passage between them, a valve and stem therefor a valve seat ring fitting within said passage and having a waste water port extending radially therethrough and provided with a vertical circular bore, a cylindrical plunger fitting within said bore and loosely connected at its upper end adjacent said valve with said valve stem for vertical movement to open or close said port, said loose connection, allowing said plunger freedom of movement to seat itself against the walls of said bore, whereby pressure of the water when said valve is opened, forces said plunger against the walls of said waste water port and prevents leakage therethrough.

t. A fire hydrant comprising a shoe and stock thereon having a communicating passage between them, a valve seat ring fitting within said passage and having a wastewater port extending therethrough and lugs projecting upwardly from said ring, a valve fitting said seat ring below said port and a stem for said valve, a cross rod mounted in said stem and having its ends fitting vertical guides in said lugs, a plunger mounted on said rod and slidable in an orifice in said seat ring and bearing on said ring above and below said port and bridging said port to close the passage therethrough when said valve is opened, said plunger and its seats having curved meeting faces held in close contacting relation by the pressure of the water on said plunger. l

5. A; fire hydrant comprising a shoe and stock thereon having a communicating passage between them, avva'lve seatring fitting within said passage and having a wastewater port extending therethrough and lugs projecting upwardly therefrom, said ring also having a vertically arranged orifice above and adjacent said waste-water port, a valve fitting said seat ring below said port and a stem for said valve, a cross rod mounted in said stem and having its ends fitting vertical guides in said lugs, a cylindrical plunger having its upper end loosely mounted on said cross rod and its lower end fitting the orifice in said seat ring and bearing on said ring above and below said port and adapted to bridge said port and close the opening therethrough when said valve is opened, said plunger having freedom of movement on said cross rod to adjust itself to the walls of said seat ring and being held snugly against said walls bythe lateral pressure of the water in said passage. Y

6. In a fire hydrant, the combination with a valve seat ring having a waste water port and a valve and stem therefor, of a plunger mounted to open and close said waste water port with the movement of said valve, a guide mounted in said stem and having one end loosely fitting within an orifice in said plunger, whereby when said stem is moved vertically a corresponding movement will be imparted to said plunger.

7. A fire hydrant comprising a shoe and stock thereon having a communicating passage between them, a valve seat ring fitting within said passage and having a wastewater port extending therethrough, and lugs projecting upwardly from said ring and provided with vertical guideways therein. a valve tting said seat ring below said port and a stem for said valve, a cross rod mounted in said stem, and having its ends fitting within said vertical guideways and held thereby against horizontal movement but having freedom of vertical movement in said guideways, a plunger mounted on said rod and slidable in an orifice in said seat ring and bridging said port to close the passage therethrough when said valve is opened.

8. A fire hydrant comprising a shoe and stock thereon having a communicatino1 passage between them, a valve seat ring tting within said passage and having a waste water port extending outwardly therethrough, said ring also having a vertically arranged orifice adjacent said waste water port, a valve fitting said seat ring below said port and a stem for said valve, a cross member mounted in said stem near said valve and vertical guides therefor at the ends thereof, a cylindrical plunger having its upper end loosely connected to said cross member and its lower end fitting the orifice in said seat ring and adapted to bear on said ring above and below said port and bridge 5 and close the opening therethrough when said valve opened, said loose connection allowing the plunger to have freedom of movement with respect to said cross rod to adjust itself to the walls of seid seat ring and to be held snugly against said walls by the lateral pressure of the water in said passage. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of April 1923. LEONIDAS P. STOREY. 

